Pressure regulator and cutoff with auxiliary manual control



July- 14, 1953 E. HENKEL ET AL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND CUTOFF WITH AUXILIARY MANUAL CONTROL 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1948 E/P/C'H HE/V/ff'l HMP HOWARD 6. Nil/@BHS INVENTORS E. HENKEL ETAL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND CUTOFF WITH AUXILIARY MANUAL CONTROL 2 SheeAts-Sheet 2 LWNN W w .AVLQ Ell H .All

mw R R w. .3 Nm QN lf e m MM. 3X2. 0.2mm ww uw t. mm H E a gw/ @N1 D MN. NW )KW \m.\ mm m Nv Q QM. H Inl vm m uw NS -m. MW mm mv h* mw. NV w W @.v M s l mvv Pn Imm m L1 July 14, 1953 Filed Dec. 27, 1948 sfr/cw Hs/v Hom/PD G. melf/Paas BY ww Patented July 14, 1953 PRESSURE REGULATOR AND CUTOFF WITH AUXILIARY MANUAL CONTROL Erich Henkel, Calumet city, In., and Howard G.

Nehrbas, Hammond, Ind., assignors to Combustion Engineering, Inc., a corporation of Dela- Ware Application December 27, 1948, Serial No. 67,426

(Cl. Sli-L4) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pressure reducing valves and to controlling means` cars will more often than not overload the steam` generator and cause a radical reduction in steam pressure. Similar reductions in steam pressure may occur when more cars are hooked into 'a v` train than it was intended that the generator on the engine should serve. A further source of loss of pressure in the steam train line and generator may occur .from leaky couplings between cars. Reducing valves used to provide a lower steam pressure in the train heating line than exists in the generator contribute to these results because the greater the demand in the train line for whatever cause the more the valve will open to permit steam to ilow from the generator so as to r'eestablish the desired heating pressure. All of these sources of excessive demand upon the generator are undesirable not only because they merely reduce the pressure in the generator and in the steam line but also since in so' doing they may cause the small quantity of water in the generator to fiash into steam with resulting danger of exposure of some of the heating elements to high temperatures in the furnace and gas passage.

Among the objects of this invention are van improved reducing valve under control of the pressure in th-e steam heat line on the downstream side thereof and operable when the diierential pressure across it is at a minimum, which valve is an improved normally open type withprovision for causing it to operate as a closed' type reducing valve, and improved means for adjusting the same and for locking it in fully open position A further object is an improved under pressure valve for closing said reducing valve untilv the pressure in the generator is initially-brought up to a predetermined pressure and for releasing said reducing valve and controlling it to throttle the passage of steam to prevent the generator pressure from falling below a desired minimum and to prevent the generator from operating above its capacity, manual means for closingtlfie` reducing valve independently of the control by the under-pressure valve, and the provision of various features of construction forinsuring the proper operation of the system comprising the invention. v n

For the purpose of disclosure the invention will be described in its use in a steam heat line of a train shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Y

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a train and anarrangement of a system embodying the invention, and

Figure 2 shows in greater detail various parts of the system in functional relation.

The invention is not limited to diesel or electric trains, or to trains of any description, but is applicable to stationary power plants aswell. The steam generator on an engine is oil red'and is equipped with the usual operating and safety controls. The present invention has to do with preventing `the flow of steam from the generator before the required operating pressure'has been reached and with throttling the delivery of steam when required to maintain saidpressure and to prevent the generator from exceeding its vcapacity.

In the diagrammatic showing in Figure l is disclosed a train consisting of an engine E and cars C. A steam generator SG is connected through a steam generator stop valve 5 to a pipe 6 connected to a reducing valve RV which controls the steam pressure in the train steam line 1. The pipe 6 is also connected by a pipe 8 to-an under pressure valve UP that is provided to exercise certain controls on the reducing valve RV.

At AC is-indicated the usual air compressor or reservoir connected to the train air pressure line and lby* a pipe l2 to the under-pressure valve UP and by a pipeiS to the'solenoid trip valve STV. Pipes lli and I5 connect the valves UP and STV to the reducing valve RV to close the latter by air pressure under control of the former.

The pressure reducing valve RV (Fig. 2), 1ocated between the steam line E from the generator and the steam trainline l, comprisesan inverted T-shaped composite body provided with an axial passageway enlarged intermediate of its end to provide a valve chamber into which projects axially downstream an inlet member I E pro-v vided with parallel' upper and lower valve ports ll with which cooperate movable valve elements I8 carried by a 4valve stem ISeXtending through and guided in a weby atthe Ylower vend of the upwardly extending ,projection 20y on the valve body. V'Ihe latter is provided with a chamber 2| housing .as teel bellows 2-2 bearing at its lower end against a shoulder on the valve stem and at its upper end seated on a recessed shoulder in the upper end of the projection 20. The chamber 2I communicates with the valve chamber through ports in the web whereby said bellows will be subjected to the pressure of the steam in the valve chamber without being subjected to turbulence of the flow of steam. Threaded exteriorly on the upper end of the projection and clamping the upper end of the bellows 22 against said projection is a cylindrical valve stem guide 23 provided with a vent 24 for the interior of thebellows. Guide 23 also has an upwardly opening air pressure cylinder 25 in which operatesan air .piston 25 surrounding said valve stem and bearing against a lower valve spring seat 21 secured to the upper end of the valve stem by a nut 28. The valve spring 29 is placed under .compression by a follower 30 adjustable toward and away 'from the spring seat 21 by means of a rod 3| threaded in the upper end of a spring housing 32 threaded Y on the valve stem guide 23. The rod 3l may be provided with a hand wheel 33 and may be locked in positions of adjustment by means of a locking member 34.

Indicating means including a pointer 35 onthe follower 3G projecting through a slot-in the spring housing and a scale on the spring; housing as indicated are provided as a gauge to facilitate Ythe adjustment or" the reducing valve spring to control the pressure of the steam delivered to the steam train line. The valve stem guide 23 is also provided with a passageway for conducting air under pressure from the pipes `I4 and I5 into the air pressure cylinder 25 to close the reducing valve.

The reducing valve RV is mechanically constructed to be normally held open by the valve spring 29 but to be closed and held closed by air pressure until the desired steam .pressure has been reached in the generator at which time the air pressure will be cut on automatically and the air cylinder allowed to bleed through bleeding ports, not shown, as is understood, to permit the reducing valve to open and operate under control of the valve spring 29 and the pressure of the steam at the downstream side of the valve.

In case of emergency the reducing valve may be opened and locked in open position by ad vancing the follower 30 to engage a projection 36 thereon with the nut 28 on the valve stem I9 as is obvious.

To close the reducing valve RV by admitting air pressure through the pipe I4 into the air pressure cylinder 25 an under pressure valve UP, Fig.

2, is provided to control the flow of air from the L.

pipe I 2 connected to the air compressor or reservoir to the pipe I4.

The underpressure valve UP comprises a base block provided with a valve seat 4I connected by ports 42 and 43 to the pipes I2 and I4 suitably connected to the block. Cooperating with the valve seat is the conical valve face 44 of a rod-like floating valve member 45 adjustably carrying a spring follower' 46 for placing a valve spring 41 under the proper initial compression to hold the valve open until the desired steam pressure has been attained in the steam generator. The upper end of the valve stem extends through an opening in a top plate 48 suitably supported on the base block 40 by sleeved rods 49 as shown. Mounted on the plate 48 is a steel bellows 50, the lower end of which is secured to the plate 48 by a bellows housing 5I connected by any suitable means to said .plate to which the pipe 8 is connected to subject the bellows to generator steam Cil pressure. The upper closed end of the bellows comprises a bearing member 52 for the upper end of the floating valve member 45.

The construction of the under pressure valve UP is such that it will be held open by its valve spring to admit air pressure -into the Vair pressure cylinder of the reducing valve RV until the desired steam pressure has been reached in the steam generator at which time the pressure on the bellows seats the under pressure valve 44 and shuts off the air pressure from the air pressure cylinder in the reducing valve and place the reducing valve under control of its spring and the `.pressure of the steam on the downstream side of the 4reducing valve.

In case of emergency, and normally when uncoupling the engine from the cars, it may be desirable to close the reducing valve at a time when the predetermined pressure in the steam generator has. already been reached. For this purpose there is .provided a solenoid trip valve STV, Fig. 2. This valve comprises a valve housing .ported as shown for establishing communication between the pipes I3 and I5 to bypass the underpressure valve UP when its movable valve element 6I is raised against its spring 62.

rThe valve element 6I is provided with a stem 63 projecting downwardly through the housing for engagement by one end of a lever 65 pivoted on depending lugs G6 on a base 61 supporting said valve housing. The other end of the lever 65 is urged in a clockwise direction by a spring 68 interposed between said base and lever and surrounding a bolt 59 supported in said base to limit the clockwise movement of said lever. rIhe lever 65 is normally held in the position shown by a known form of reset latch EB cooperating with a lateral lug 1I on the lever. Operatively associated with said latch is the armature 12 of a solenoid 13 supported 0n said base and which may be energized by closing a switch 14 in the cab of the engine as is understood. When the solenoid is energized it trips the reset latch whereupon the spring 68 will rock the lever clockwise and open the valve to by-pass the air pressure around the under pressure valve to close the reducing valve. The valve STV may be closed and the latch reset by manually rocking the lever 65 counterclockwise. This puts the reducing valve again under control of the under pressure valve.

To recapitulate: in operation the reducing valve functions 'to maintain in the train heating line a desired pressure lower than that existing at the generator. The under pressure valve by acting to close the reducing valve prevents the generator pressure falling below a predetermined value, say 200#, deemed essential to its propel' and safe operation. Hence, neither hooking the engine to a cold train nor adding cars in excess of the capacity of the generator can result in lowering its pressure substantially below an optimum value. In addition, the uncoupling of an engine from the train is facilitated because the operator may without leaving his cab cut off the generator from the train line by operating the button energizing the trip valve.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a steam pressure line and an air pressure line, of a reducing valve in said steam pressure line, a valve spring normally holding said valve in open position, an air pressure cylinder operatively connected to said valve to move it into closed position, a normally open,

under-pressure air valve for admitting air into said air cylinder to close said reducing valve, and means subjected to the pressure of steam on the upstream side of said reducing valve and operable at a predetermined pressure to close said air valve and place the reducing valve under control of its spring and the steam pressure on the downstream side thereof.

2. The combination with a steam pressure line and an air pressure line, of a reducing valve in said steam pressure line, a valve spring normally holding said valve in open position, an air pressure cylinder operatively connected to said valve to move it into closed position, a normally open, under-pressure air valve for admitting air into said air cylinder to close said reducing valve, means subjected to the pressure of steam on the upstream side of said reducing Val-ve and operable at a predetermined pressure to close said air valve and place the reducing valve under control of its spring and the steam pressure on the downstream side thereof, and control means connected in parallel with said air valve for admitting air into said air cylinder to close said reducing valve.

3. The combination with a steam pressure line and an air pressure line, of a reducing valve in said steam pressure line, a valve spring normally holding said valve in open position, an air pressure cylinder operatively connected to said valve to move it into closed position, a normally open, under-pressure air valve for admitting air into said air cylinder to close said reducing valve, means subjected to the pressure of steam on the upstream side of said reducing valve and oper able at a predetermined pressure to close said air valve and place the reducing valve under control of its spring and the steam pressure on the downstream side thereof, control means connected in parallel with said air valve for admitting air into said air cylinder to close said reducing valve, said latter means comprising a normally closed air valve, spring pressure means for opening said air valve, a manually resettable latch for holding said spring pressed means inoperative, and a solenoid for tripping said latch and releasing said spring pressed means to open said air valve.

f1. A normally open under pressure valve for connecting a source of air pressure to a reducing valve in a steam pressure line for closing said reducing valve comprising: a valve seat, a movable valve element cooperating with said valve seat, and means controlled by a predetermined pressure of steam on the upstream side of said reducing valve for moving said movable valve element into closed position, said under pressure valve including means for moving its movable valve element away from its seat when said steam pressure falls below said predetermined value.

ERICH HENKEL. HOWARD G. NEHRBAS.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,286,397 Olsen Dec. 3, 1918 1,501,858 McCuen July 15, 1924 1,981,576 Woolfenden Nov. 20, 1934 2,264,262 E'rbquth Nov. 25, 1941 2,278,952 Soderbery Apr. '7, 1942 2,283,296 Temple May 19, 1942 

